Classroom Notes: Baird’s EdTech Discussion Series
The opportunity for technology adoption in education has never been stronger. In partnership with Baird Global Investment Banking, Baird’s Equity Research Vertical Software team conducted a series of discussions with the leading public/private companies in the EdTech community to explore key trends/themes impacting K-12 and higher education, while spotlighting those organizations at the forefront of innovation.
The series is hosted by Joe Vruwink, Baird Senior Research Analyst, Vertical Software.
Hear from Leading EdTech Companies
Frontline is a leading provider of K-12 school administration software, empowering institutions to manage human capital, business operations, and special education. Mark Gruzin, CEO, and Greg Doran, CFO, discuss Frontline’s founding focus of absence management and substitution replacement for teachers, as well as their comprehensive Human Capital Management (HCM) suite and other offerings.
From the beginning, GoGuardian has focused on how technology integrates into the educational experience, providing a range of Chromebook filtering, monitoring, fleet management, and usage analytics. Hear from Advait Shinde, Co-Founder & CEO, and team on how the company has supported some of the largest 1:1 device rollout programs, built their portfolio and seen significant growth.
Instructure (INST) is the company behind Canvas, the Learning Management System (“LMS”) that educators love to use. Steve Daly, CEO, and Dale Bowen, CFO, discuss how areas of instruction – learning, assessments, analytics, program management – are evolving and providing new opportunities for growth.
To make classroom learning more meaningful, relevant, and engaging for all students, Newsela set its sights on upgrading the $10B instructional materials market and becoming a core piece of curriculum (displacing legacy textbooks in the process). Hear from Matthew Gross, Founder & CEO, and Igor Beckerman, CFO, on why Newsela is becoming a SaaS platform of choice for instructional content in K-12 education.
PowerSchool (PWSC) is a pioneer in providing cloud-based software for the K-12 education market, with its namesake Student Information Systems (“SIS”) serving as the leading system of record for student data in North America K-12 education. Hardeep Gulati, CEO, discusses changing considerations as a robust funding backdrop accommodates renewed investment in key systems.
Contact Baird Global Investment Banking
Across investor types, there remains a heightened interest in all forms of K-12 EdTech. The models are resilient and growing, creating room for white space opportunities and favorable customer dynamics. We expect to see K-12 EdTech players benefit from long-term growth tailwinds and continue to receive keen attention from investors.
Knowledge Solutions Team
Technology & Services Equity Capital Markets
